Bollywood: A Guidebook to Popular Hindi Cinema

by Tejaswini Ganti

In Bollywood , anthropologist and film scholar Tejaswini Ganti provides a guide to the cultural, social and political significance of Hindi cinema, outlining the history and structure of the Bombay film industry, and the development of popular Hindi filmmaking since the 1930s. Providing information and commentary on the key players in Bollywood, including composers, directors and stars, as well as material from current filmmakers themselves, the areas covered in Bollywood Anyone interested in, or studying Bollywood cinema will find this a valuable purchase.

Genres: India, Film, Nonfiction

264 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Catnaitab · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really accessible, informative and interesting, not just explaining the history of popular Hindi cinema but also putting it into context politically and economically. Great examples of people in the industry and films.

[Lea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super interesting look at Bollywood, provides a lot of valuable information and background on the industry.

[Rose]

I had to read this for a class... What class, you say? Surely, you say, if a professor at a renowned university decided to use the book, then it must have some merits, even if I personally disliked it. Well, no. The class I had to read it for was taught by the author of Bollywood: A Guide to Popular Hindi Cinema, and that's why we read it. The book does contain some historical information on the founders and epochs of Hindi cinema, and the professor has done some research for it in Bollywood. However, she can be rather condescending and acerbic in person, and that shows through in her book. Personally, I found that one of the more interesting things in reading the book was correcting the punctuation and syntax errors. If you're willing to put up with a lot for a basic overview of Hindi cinema, this book is fine. But I would still recommend you look for another book.

[Tatjana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book. I learned so much about the sociologies of India and how it affected Indian cinema that I feel much more informed.

I work a lot with the films of India in my job, so the topic was relevant to what I do every day. I do this job, however, partly because I love Indian cinema-, which was the impetus for reading the book in the first place.

If I weren't such an academic person, I might have found it harder to read.
The material is very dense.
It's a little dry if you are used to reading today's pop culture books; however, I believe it is worth the effort, even if you have to put it down once in a while. The reading took me 2 months- and I'm not proud of this fact.

[Sioux · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent guide. If you aren't lucky enough to have a personal tour guide to Bollywood movies, this is a good start. It's not too academic but gives a lot of fascinating background information about how the Indian film industry got its start, and even lists key actors/actresses/directors and major films.

[Sadiya · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty decent read and intro to Bollywood for those who are not familiar with the industry. Bases a lot of its anecdotes on old Bollywood - needs a revision to include more post-2000s. If you are already aware of Bollywood, this may be too basic, but still interesting tidbits on India's film industry, film technology and the hybridness of Bollywood.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite informative. I have a familiarity with Hindi cinema and found this helpful in learning more. Good for beginners, people who are familiar like me and for anyone wanting to study more. :)

[Ishaan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great intro to anyone who wants to know more about Bollywood; may want to check out the third edition coming out next year.....

[Arpita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written with academic rigor, Ganti attempts to explain Bollywood on its own terms. She has a discerning eye for the socio-cultural significance of Bollywood cinema and her book neither celebrates nor demeans the medium. Instead, it reveals Bollywood's inner workings, bringing up many ideas worth considering. For anyone, not just those who are not familiar with Bollywood, this book will add to how he or she understands India and its iconic film industry.

[Jen Hsieh]

For a more indepth summary, see: http://www.lehigh.edu/~amsp/2005/07/8...

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

A concise overview of the history of Indian cinema, and how it is has developed its own unique vocabulary. Includes many mentions and descriptions of important or representative films.

[Claire S · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this last year or so as I was first discovering Indian Cinema.. will write a better review with it in front of me one of these days.

[Saima · Rating 2 out of 5]

Once again, books about a film industry MUST include color photographs. I did enjoy reading it though especially the sections on narrative style, genres and significant filmmakers and films.

[Melanie (Moviemavengal) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the second 2012 edition. Very interesting and valuable starting guide to Hindi cinema. Now I have to go watch Sholay since she talked about it for an entire chapter.